Captain oozes confidence ahead of semi final
Qantas Matildas captain Cheryl Salisbury oozed confidence ahead of tomorrow’s AFC Women’s Championship semi final match against Japan at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide, predicting they could do great things at next year’s Women’s World Cup in China after they qualify.
Salisbury, the current appearance record holder for the Women-s national team, has no doubt-s Australia will get past Japan, a result that would automatically qualify the Qantas Matildas for the World Cup.
Results since Tom Sermanni took over in December 2004, has given the team a self belief that could take them all the way to a medal.
“Once we do qualify for the World Cup and the Olympics in 2008, then we are a definite chance at a medal and that belief is there amongst the players and team as a whole,” said Salisbury from Adelaide.
“I think the mood is really good at the moment and that-s not just during this tournament. In the past year we have had a lot of good results against the top countries and we-ve really changed about how we feel about ourselves and the belief that we have within our team.
“Going into tomorrow afternoon-s game, the girls are really confident because we-ve had these good results and we have no doubts that we can win the game and go through, not just to the final, but through to the World Cup automatically.
“Like I said, in the past year we-ve had some great results and it certainly within the team and the coaching staff that we have reached that next level.”
Asked if that also meant they could win it, Salisbury-s confidence in the team-s ability to perform on the big stage.
“I think we certainly have the potential to win a World Cup,” she said. “We have the potential to beat any team out there and our results in the past year have certainly indicated that we can do that.
“We beat the Germans in our first game of last year when we first came together as a team; we went 0-0 with the USA in the US and we were unlucky not to come away with the win.
“So there is definitely a feeling amongst the team and a big belief there that we are getting stronger and come next year we will see where we are at and where the other teams are at, but certainly I don-t think it-s out of anyone-s mind that we can produce some amazing results.”
However Australia-s recent record against the silky Japanese has seen them lose twice last year, although Salisbury believes there is a big difference between the teams since last year.
“I think the biggest thing we can gain from playing them last year, is that we-ve improved out of sight, compared to the Japanese team after watching them play against China. I don-t think they have greatly improved since we played them. On the other hand, I think every player in this team knows how much better a team we are after playing in this tournament.
“The Asian group (teams) as a whole, they have got good, close ball skills; they are quite sharp in how they move around the park and that-s something that we need to be careful of. On the other hand we have a lot of great strengths as well, like a lot of height within the box at set pieces, players up front that have got blistering speed, like Sarah Walsh and Lisa De Vanna, who I think Japan will be very worried about.”
Salisbury, a veteran of three Women-s World Cup-s and two Olympic Games tournaments, has no doubt that qualifying for her fourth World Cup tournament will be extra special.
“It-s a lot harder route to the finals (World Cup) and for me personally, I know it has been a lot easier in the past and this is a big challenge and there is this little bit of extra pressure on us to qualify this time round, because it is through Asia and it-s a good competition.
“It-s a tougher way to go through and we certainly have been to World Cup-s and Olympics, but it isn-t the same thing, because if we fail at this hurdle there is no World Cup for us. So there is a lot more pressure for us and lot more expectation.
“It does have a big bearing for the future of our game and we want to qualify automatically for the World Cup.”
However she knows that if they are to get past Japan then they will have to be at their best in front of goals, an area of the game that has been of some concern during the tournament in Adelaide.
“There is a lot of disappointment amongst the team that we didn-t finish the chances that we-ve created, because we have created a lot of good quality chances through great build up. I suppose that is half the battle and I think Tommy (Sermanni) would rather have it that way then us not create the good chances.
“If you come out against a team like Japan, you are not going to have as many chances, so we need to make sure that when those one or two opportunities do come up that you do finish. We just need a little bit of consistency not just in front of goals, but as a team as a whole. We-ve pretty much got that down pat, as we showed especially against South Korea, to win 4-0 and then to go out against North Korea, who are a very good, quality team and to hold them, not only hold them but we created a lot of good opportunities.
“The girls have been watching replays of the games and we are kicking ourselves we didn-t score a couple more goals.”
The Socceroos performances at the recent World Cup in Germany certainly haven-t gone unnoticed by the team as well and have inspired the girls through this tournament.
“The performance of the Socceroos I think lifted a lot of people-s hearts throughout the whole nation in regards to football in Australia,” she said with great pride.
“We have certainly taken that on board and it has inspired us, because it put football in Australia on the map, worldwide as well as within our own backyard and we are certainly keen to follow on from that and if we can get some success as well, its just going to increase that focus for all those young boys and girls who want to see a Matilda or Socceroo down the track.”